Live Review: Roxette – 1st December 2025 – OVO Wembley Arena, London. UK
7 min read
Roxette’s return to London on 1 December was a night fans had been waiting a long time for, and the atmosphere inside OVO Wembley Arena made it clear just how much affection the crowd still has for the songs from one of the worlds most loved bands and talented songwriters. While the lineup has changed over the years, Per Gessle continues to lead the charge with his usual charm as he dominated the stage in eye-catching pink jeans and regularly changing Crash Boom Bang artwork inspired guitars, backed by a band that has mostly been with him from the bands early years including the eccentric Christoffer Lundquist – described by Gessle as “Sweden’s last hippie”.
Before the show even began, though, there were a few surprising omissions. For a major tour, and one arriving just weeks after the 30th anniversary reissue of the band’s iconic Don’t Bore Us, Get To The Chorus! compilation, it felt like a missed opportunity that no music at all was being sold at the merchandise stands. Not a CD, not a vinyl, not even a reissue. The merch selection focused entirely on the current tour look, which, while stylish, noticeably lacked visuals celebrating Roxette’s original era. Considering how often Per and Lena have emphasized in interviews that Lena is not replacing Marie, it felt odd that the t-shirts and merch designs almost completely avoided imagery of the duo in their classic form. I was personally hoping to grab a copy of the Don’t Bore Us, Get To The Chorus! vinyl but that wasn’t to be.
The show started exceptionally early with a 19.30 start time; kicking off with The Big L – a punchy, feel-good opener that immediately lifted the room and had everyone up on their feet and dancing. Things ramped up even more with Sleeping in My Car, the familiar drum pattern before each chorus setting off giant cheers every time it hit. Dressed for Success kept the pace flying before things slowed for Crash! Boom! Bang!. Per introduced the track fondly, calling it the title cut from his favourite Roxette record and reminiscing about recording the 1994 album in Capri. The live version leaned into a gentle, country-ish feel, with Per and Lena sharing the verses in an easy back-and-forth that felt warm and natural.
Lena, for her part, was in fantastic voice throughout most of the set. Confident, energetic and clearly having a great time as she strutted and posed in a short leopard print number and eye-catching belt, she nailed many of the lead vocals with real power. Her voice naturally leans toward a big, bold, almost female-hair-metal belt, something she handles incredibly well and which suited several of the high-energy numbers perfectly. It’s a very different approach from Marie Fredriksson, who was known for her emotional depth and textured delivery, qualities that gave Roxette’s ballads such a unique and timeless resonance and can never be replicated. It wasn’t a flaw in Lena’s performance at all, but it did underline just how distinctive Marie’s vocal presence was in shaping Roxette’s sound and how much that sound is now absent from live performances.
A soaring Wish I Could Fly and the punchy Opportunity Nox kept the energy high, but one of the biggest reactions of the night came when Clarence Öfwerman began the iconic piano opening to Fading Like a Flower (Every Time You Leave) from his elevated platform. The crowd instantly lit up and the entire arena sang along to what became one of the evening’s standout performances.
Things dipped a little with Vulnerable, which Per introduced with a laugh about why it had never been played live before, joking, “maybe it’s just not that good, you be the judge.” It blended straight into Milk and Toast and Honey, both songs sweet enough but not quite strong enough to fill a venue the size of Wembley. Thankfully, Almost Unreal, a rarity in modern Roxette sets, brought things back up again, even if the absence of Marie’s vocal style was especially noticeable here.
From there, the show found its stride again with Stars and She’s Got Nothing On (But the Radio), both delivered with plenty of spark. Then came one of the most emotionally loaded moments of the night: It Must Have Been Love. Lena introduced the song with a touching tribute to Marie, encouraging the crowd to sing loudly “so she can hear us from heaven above.” But this moment also highlighted one of the night’s biggest disappointments: despite the sincerity of the tribute, not a single image of Marie appeared on the big screens, not during this song, not during any song. It was especially odd given that even Joyride: The Musical, currently running in Stockholm, injects a touching visual tribute to Marie at the end of the show, making it feel surprising that Per opted not to do the same in these new live shows. For a two-hour performance that drew heavily on music the duo created together, the complete lack of visual homage felt strange and, for many long-time fans, unexpectedly emotional. Again, the pair have expressed that Lena is not here to replace Marie so where was the harm in including Marie in more than just a short-lived nod?
The final run of the main set was pure fun. How Do You Do! flowed seamlessly into Dangerous, just like the classic Roxette tours, and Wembley responded with a huge, joyful singalong. Joyride then turned the arena into one massive chorus, with fans shouting every word like it was 1991 all over again.
The encore began with a beautifully stripped-back version of Spending My Time performed by Per and Lena alone. For fans who hold the song close, especially those who grew up with Marie’s delivery, it was an emotional and at times challenging moment, but also a very sincere one. This was a moment I personally found to be a little challenging as I have considered this my favourite song since a young age so hearing it delivered by another under the Roxette banner was a tough few minutes. The mood lifted with Listen to Your Heart, made even more special by the return of original guitarist Jonas Isacsson after sixteen years. His appearance sparked a big cheer, and his playing was as smooth and iconic as ever – especially given his notable appearance in the famous castle set video for the hit. Then came The Look, as loud and swaggering as you’d hope, with Per roaming the stage like he owned every inch of it.
To close, the band chose Queen of Rain, a gentle, unexpected ending that may have surprised casual fans hoping for another big hit, but which landed as a thoughtful choice for long-time followers who recognised its emotional weight.
Despite a few odd decisions, especially the missed chances to visually honour Marie or celebrate the band’s classic era, this was still a warm, generous and genuinely moving night of music. Roxette’s catalogue remains packed with gold, and the band delivered them with heart, nostalgia and just the right amount of reinvention. For fans, it was a reminder of why these songs still matter, and why they always will. That said, while the set was great and the performance of each member of the band was exceptional, Marie’s absence was deeply felt. She is irreplaceable – a musician who gave so much to the sound of Roxette, a voice unlike any other, so hearing the songs performed without her, and seeing Per take a bow with another vocalist before the Wembley lights lit up to usher the crowds home, was tough to hear and to see. Still, the show proved that the mighty Roxette catalogue will continue to dominate stages for many, many more years to come, and it was great to see that Per is able to get back on the road and deliver these cherished hits to the millions of Roxette fans around the world again.
Setlist:
The Big L.
Sleeping in My Car
Dressed for Success
Crash! Boom! Bang!
Wish I Could Fly
Opportunity Nox
Fading Like a Flower (Every Time You Leave)
Vulnerable
Milk and Toast and Honey
Almost Unreal
Stars
She’s Got Nothing On (But the Radio)
It Must Have Been Love
How Do You Do!
Dangerous
Joyride
Encore:
Spending My Time
Listen to Your Heart
The Look
Queen of Rain
::: RenownedForSound.com’s Editor and Founder –
Interviewing and reviewing the best in new music and globally recognized artists is his passion.
Over the years he has been lucky enough to review thousands of music releases and concerts and interview artists ranging from top selling superstars like 27-time Grammy Award winner Alison Krauss, Boyz II Men, Roxette, Cyndi Lauper, Lisa Loeb and iconic Eagles front man/songwriter, Glenn Frey through to more recent successes including Newton Faulkner, Janelle Monae and Caro Emerald.
Brendon manages and coordinates the amazing team of writers on RenownedForSound.com who are based in the UK, the U.S and Australia.
